Winemaker Notes
The wine has stunning depth of color with an intense garnet center and a ruby rim. The nose showcases complex aromas of dried tobacco leaf, subtle violet flower, dried currants, baking spice and graphite. The wine enters the palate with incredible purity and focus. Flavors are those of dark cherries, blackberries and ripe plum skin. Sumptuous and full there is a hint of spice on the mid-palate which leads to fine yet dense tannins and a lengthy finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Director's Reserve Red, made up of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec, features dark, dusty red fruit with graphite and cherries alongside herbal, wild brush notes. It displays subtle flavors of tart plums and plum compote with a balanced structure ready for food. Give it one more year in the bottle and drink over the next decade-plus. This vintage aged for 22 months in French oak, 52% new. Rating: 92+
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Vinous
The 2020 Red Director's Reserve is a selection of vineyard sites and barrels, a Bordeaux blend based around Cabernet Sauvignon, a natural fermentation matured in 44% new French. The aromatics take time to open with blackberry, bilberry, brine and light graphite scents. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and plenty of graphite-infused black fruit; the 2020 is well balanced with more precision on the finish compared to the Reserve Collection Cabernet. Satisfying length on the aftertaste - this is very fine.
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Wine Spectator
A balanced, medium- to full-bodied red, with hints of smoke, toast and ground coffee enriching fruit flavors of baked blackberry and damson plum preserves, layered with supple tannins. Reveals an aromatic range of violet and fresh rosemary and oregano notes, which emerge through the midpalate and linger on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases imported.
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James Suckling
Blackberries, dark plums, bark and sweet oak spices on the nose follow through to a medium body with creamy tannins. Round and well-balanced with a polished character and a precise, slightly spicy finish. 71% cabernet sauvignon, 13% petit verdot, 10% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 3% malbec.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.